Chapter 52. "Segunda and Tercera"
Tremor and Brute were standing face to face, making slow circles. They watched each other carefully, both ready for an attack.
"I thought I've broken your arms." Tremor noticed.
"Cuarto's healed those. When it comes to medicine, he's quite useful." Brute explained. "It's kind of annoying, isn't it?" He smiled slightly. "We met once in Warfang. You and Cynder made me run away, but you were so close to death... Second time we met, you've easily beaten me and stole Sierra. So we can assume we have tie."
"Stole? Saving my daughter you call stealing?" Tremor hissed angrily.
"Yes, because for me, it's nothing more." Brute and Tremor were watching carefully each other. "That's funny. Both of us really wished to meet again and here we stand, face to face. Brute, Sexto Vengantimo and Tremor, the dragon guardian of earth. And this time, no one of us can run away."
"Actually, the only one running away was you." Tremor noticed and smirked, seeing anger at enemy's face.
"Very funny. But this time, I've prepared for this fight. No needles, only bombs. And those bombs are special. Small range, great damage." Wyvern's equipment had changed since their last meeting. He hadn't gauntlet, but metal gloves with three carbuncles and flint for bombs at each of them. At each of sides, he had three small, leather bags with bombs and there was another one, much bigger, at his back.
"Isn't that big thing at your back uncomfortable? I doubt, if you'll get bombs from there in the middle of fight." Tremor noticed.
"I took it especially for you, Tremor." Brute smiled ominously. "You know, there's one thing I've been wondering about since we met last time. Why do you still fight on the ground? You love it so badly. Aren't dragons supposed to fly? And how's that possible that dragon who practically doesn't use wings, has become guardian?" He asked with note of disbelief in his voice.
"Well, I prefer fighting on the ground since my element is earth. And earth is right here." He pointed down, so wyvern involuntarily watched the ground. Then right under his face appeared pillar of earth, which hit his jaws, before Vengantimo managed to dodge blow. Brute fell at his back. He stood up and spited away blood. "Do you get it now?" Tremor was having fun of wyvern, whose anger was about to reach critical point.
"You haven't learnt anything from our last meeting, huh? So arrogant and cocky." He asked. "You still can't understand that you're reason of all those deaths. How about deal?" The guardian didn't reply, but wyvern didn't expect answer. "I'll disappear, you'll be able to save Candice from Icey. In return, I'll take Sierra. Right after that, I'll disappear from your life. How about that?"
"Do you pretend, or you're really that stupid?" Tremor asked. Brute sighed deeply.
"You know that you've just sentenced your mate to death, don't you?" Sexto asked.
"She'll be fine." The earth guardian said.
"Are you so sure?"
"I know it." Tremor finished their conversation firmly. Brute laughed silently. He couldn't believe that Tremor was that reckless to let his mate duel with Icey. The wyvern jumped in the air and opened two first bags. He took from each one bomb and threw them to the dragon. Tremor jumped above them and started flying to his enemy. It was time to finish this.
Espejo walked slowly, making circles around two fire breathers. The dragons kept eyes on him. Vengantimo smiled slightly. "It's not really fair, don't you think? Two versus one is definitely not honorable."
"You can always flee." Flameus suggested. The wyvern just laughed and shook his head with disbelief.
"I feel offended with such a suggestion. I'd never become tránsfuga. To come back with shield or on it, that's my dogma. So, shall we see, who's victor?"
"What's your rank?" Ember asked.
"Right, where are my manners? My name is Espejo, hijo del Dotado." Espejo bowed gently, but respectfully before the dragons, as he presented his and his father's name.
"You don't introduce yourself as Vengantimo?" Ember asked, surprised.
"I not really feel like Vengantimo. What can I say, this body, my powers and rank, those are just tools for my personal revenge. I'm glad that I face your two. It's the previous dragon guardian of fire who because of I've lost my family. You have no idea how angry I was when Primero said that Icey would face you."
"And what is your rank?" Flame repeated his mate's question.
"Does it really matter?" Vengantimo shrugged. "My rank could be fifth or eleventh or maybe even lower and if I had a power perfect against a fire, I could be at Primero's strength to you. On the other side, I may be Tercera and if my power was terrible against fire, I would be a weakling facing you. There are also close-distance attack skills, but they don't determine it as much."
"And is your power good against fire?" Ember asked straightly. Espejo giggled.
"I shouldn't give you such an information, but I already know the powers of yours and you have no idea about mine, right?" The wyvern sighed deeply. "Two fire breather's is pretty good combination to me, not very hard. It's easier to fight when you both have this same element. But no worries, it won't be easy either." The wyvern stopped and made a fighting stance. "Let's begin, you really don't want Icey to finish Candice and help me." He suggested. "So, ladies first?" He asked, turning at Ember. Both dragons ran to him, but wyvern jumped rapidly, again surprising enemies with his speed. He poured sand in fire breather's eyes. Flame closed them for a second and the wyvern bounced from the ground to stand next to him and his tail wrapped around his arm. In this same moment he hit Ember with whole his momentum throwing her back. He pulled his tail turning over the fire guardian and landing with Ember on the ground several meters farther. He quickly stood behind her so Ember was between him and Flame. The pink dragoness turned around, blocked Vengantimo's fast blows and they started forcing. Flame stood up quickly and ran to them when Espejo slipped away from pink dragoness's grasp smoothly and passed by her. Ember's eyes grew wide, as she saw his tailblade enclosing to her chest. She caught it with both paws when it already went through the scales and touched her rib. Blood flowed down the wound, Ember hissed angrily, keeping balance on her hinder legs and hanging on Vengantimo's tail. Flame attacked Espejo who leaned beneath his first blow and blocked another. He hit fire breather's jaws with forehead and made a step farther, his tailblade went a centimeter deeper into dragoness's body. Ember squeaked painfully.
"Ember!" Flame shouted. He attacked Espejo, but wyvern shielded himself again.
"You'd better don't burn my tail, I behave very uncontrollably when hurt." Vengantimo warned. He tried to slash Flame's throat, but the guardian caught his left paw and barely managed to grasp another, just in time to stop wyvern's talons several centimeters from his chest. Espejo grinned ominously.
"Let's see who wins, shall we?" All three started forcing, both dragons grasping wyvern as strong as they could not to be killed, even though it seemed like this young wyvern was stronger than them. Ember gasped painfully, as wyvern's tailblade moved a little. And then, in fire guardian's mouth, there appeared tongues of fire.
"Not scared about your mate?" Espejo noticed with disbelief.
"Burns are lesser price than life." Ember smiled slightly, as wyvern swallowed hardly hearing that. The pink dragoness would live through that, but not him. In the moment Flame was about to incinerate him, Vengantimo pulled back dropping both fire breathers and jumped away. The fire guardian shot to him a stream of fire, but Vengantimo jumped in the air above it and landed between two dragons. They attacked him, but he was faster. Ember fell on the ground with scratched side and terribly aching head and a second later, Flame screamed painfully. He collapsed next to his mate with his left shoulder dislocated. Espejo watched the dragons.
"Put his arm back on the place and stand up." He waited for them several meters farther, watching the medic taking care of her mate's arm.
Candice and Icey were staying next to each other, neither of them hurried with attack.
"So, will you stand here like that for eternity?" Icey asked. "I'm waiting."
"Maybe your clones should attack first?" The ice guardian didn't like the idea of attacking three enemies at once. Definitely not three Segundas. Two clones started running to her. First one appeared at her right, she blocked easily his blow and shot an ice spike right in his face. Second one attacked from left. Candice jumped away from his slash and swung her tailblade piercing his chest. Candice rolled away from several ice spikes, which stuck in the ground, where she had been a second earlier. She saw another ice imitation gliding to her, so she jumped to it and started forcing with it in the air. Then, she heard Icey.
"You lose, Candice." Vengantimo straightened his paw, aiming at her. "Now, helarse." From end of his talon there appeared an spike of ice, which started quickly elongating right to her. Candice jumped away from the pillar of ice, which pierced imitation. Then, she saw two another spreads. She jerked her head barely avoiding them, one scratched her cheek. She landed, Icey hit ground with paws strongly. In front of dragoness, there appeared tens of spikes pointed right at her, but she stopped them with wall of ice. Candice decided to remain behind that wall for a moment to take a breath and wonder about the strategy. The wyvern waited for her. After several seconds, Candice appeared from behind wall and started flying to him low above the ground. She tried to slash, but Icey jumped at side. The guardian tried to attack him,but two clones caught her arms stopping her. Icey, with his breath, froze everything in front of him, including arms of his imitations. He glared at frozen dragoness, who was completely frozen, expect her head.
"Such a disappointment. I expected something more from you." He said, as he was about to slit her throat. Then, in his right shoulder appeared ice spike. He hissed painfully and watched blood dripping from wound. He turned to see Candice staying next to the ice wall, which she had created earlier.
"Yes, I thought you knew that I use imitations too." The guardian smiled, she knew it was good beginning of fight. If she hadn't missed, the wyvern would be already dead. Icey glared at his blood.
"Not bad, but it's the very last wound you gave me. From now, all, what will you do is running away from me." From ground beneath guardian started appearing ice spikes, she jumped in the air just in time. It was best for her not to land, since Icey had obvious advantage on the ground. The wyvern flew to her and slashed aiming at her face, Candice leaned her head back. From Vengantimo's talon appeared small icy blade, but Candice broke it and shot the ice spike to him. It flew right next to Icey. Then, some ice imitation flew right at her. That surprised her, but before Vengantimo attacked, she pushed it at Icey, distracting him. The guardian flew above him and slashed quickly his back with tailblade. She wanted to fly farther, to slash through whole wyvern's back, when something held her tailblade. She saw that her tail was stuck in ice covering Icey's back.
"What the..." She whispered, dumbstruck.
"It's over." Two ice spikes appeared from his back. Candice rolled away releasing tailblade from ice and avoiding deadly attack for only centimeters. She flew away from him, as quickly, as she could.
"My helarse is interesting skill, isn't it?" Icey smiled watching guardian. He could see in her eyes desperate tries of creating any plan. "I can cover with ice every part of my body and when I touch ground, I can make it appear also even under your feet. Isn't that perfect? Am I not the most powerful ice user ever seen?" Icey didn't tell it her to make her fight easier. His only point was to make her feel real, overwhelming and paralyzing fear.
"I hate it about you, wyverns. You say that dragons are proud, but your arrogance blinds you." Candice noticed.
"I am not arrogant." Icey said coldly. "I just know that with this power of mine, I can't lose to just the ice guardian of dragons."
"Isn't this arrogance? You must have disadvantage." Candice noticed. She had no idea, how to fight enemy like that, it was first situation, when she was completely out of ideas, what to do.
"Yes, I have one." The wyvern admitted. "In effect of all mutations, which I went through, my life span was rapidly decreased. I have twenty, maximum thirty years of life left." Candice watched him surprised. She didn't expect much, but just slightest tip, how to kill him. And without it, she saw no chance to win. All that this knowledge gave her was that she knew why his scales looked so old. "You know, what's the funniest thing?" He interrupted her intensive thoughts. "That I am just Tercera." He showed Candice his right paw. At his little finger, there was a silver ring with three pearls. "And the Segunda is... Espejo."
"You've told Flame and Ember that you're Segunda, the most powerful element-using wyvern." Guardian was mad that she was lied like that.
"They called me Segunda, I didn't use this word, only suggested it gently." Icey smiled slightly. "I told them truth, but they were the ones to call me Segunda. And Espejo... He doesn't use element. His talent is completely different." Tercera explained.
Flame tried to slash Espejo with both paws. He was sure, this time he would get him. But wyvern appeared at his side, which he hit with horn, meanwhile blocking Ember's blow with his tailblade. The fire guardian swung his tail at the enemy who leaned down and kicked Ember in face at this same moment. Before Flame managed to make move, Segunda caught his tail and threw him to trying to keep balance pink dragoness. Meanwhile, he tried to slash guardian, but Flame protected himself just in time. Espejo jumped away and smiled, watching his laying enemies.
"Get up, dragons. We haven't finished yet." He made offensive pose, ready to attack. Flame and Ember stood up. They both were already breathing hardly. And wyvern didn't show even slightest signs of exhaust. Neither of dragons could even scratch him. He was too fast. They could see his movements, they were easy to read, but Flame and Ember were simply too slow to do a thing.
"Kind of annoying, isn't it?" Espejo asked. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is slow. Speed of your eyes and minds don't give you a thing, if your bodies can't catch up with them." Vengantimo grinned, since he really enjoyed that battle. "Are you ready?" The wyvern flew to them.
"He's playing with them." Candice stated.
"No. Well, maybe a little. He must be enjoying it." Icey refused. "It may look otherwise, but he's really trying to kill them. He hates to fight for too long, but they shield each other so well that he can't find opportunity to kill. And he doesn't attack, when enemy is lying on the ground. It's...unfair, as for him." Icey's voice was cold like always, deprived of any emotions. "But soon, they'll make a serious mistake." Icey was absolutely sure about that. It was just matter of time. "You see, Espejo has really interesting ability. He is specialized to fight against dragons and their elements." Tercera started explaining. "At the moment, they release fire, they're dead." Candice cursed in her mind, she knew, they would do it sooner or later. "I think it's now." The wyvern said. The ice guardian watched at Flame and Ember.
The fire guardian and his mate were staying at two sides of Espejo. The wyvern caught them quickly with corners of his eyes. He was patiently waiting for them to attack. Flame closed eyes for a second, when Ember shot blinding fireballs. Espejo couldn't see a thing, so he jumped away in air. He blinked several times and, when he regained vision, he saw two streams of fire right in front of him. He straightened paws, as if he wanted to stop them like that. In the moment when first flames touched him, his eyes glowed with white, weak light for a fraction of second. Then he disappeared in streams of fire. Candice smiled, seeing dark cloud, which fell on the ground. Ember and Flame looked each other and smiled with relief.
"They've got him." Candice smiled to herself. "You were wrong, nothing happened, Ic..." She turned, to see Tercera's sinister grin. Espejo was still alive! The dragoness turned again at place, where was laying Espejo. She saw small, weak red glow appearing from cloud of smoke. It was bad. Very bad.
"Flame, Ember! Watch out!" She screamed, trying to warn them. Icey watched whole happening with slight smile. Everything was going according to his plan. Both fire breathers glared at the smoke, which disappeared after one beat of wyvern's wings. They saw Espejo with arms and chest covered in burns. At each his paw, there was one colorless topaz. In front of gems were two small balls of fire, kept by white magical energy. "Venganza." Espejo smiled and whispered. Two streams of fire, even faster and stronger than the ones pointed at him, were released to dragons. Flame and Ember jumped in the air, but pink dragoness's foot was stuck in large root, protruding from ground. Flame couldn't do a thing, he was too far he saw Candice, who pushed Ember away, but let fire cover her. Ember watched Candice with worries, but she saw another one in the air, exactly at this same place she was earlier. She understood that the one who saved her was just an imitation. Then, the pink dragoness screamed.
"Candice! Behind you!" The ice guardian turned around. Far too slow. Icey placed his paw on right side of her chest. Candice knew that she lost. Icey's head appeared right next to her. He wasn't watching her, just looked forward, like the guardian did. His sight was cold, triumphant, her horrified. Her eyes grew wide, heart skipped a beat, realizing the situation. Across wyvern's lips, there danced slight smile. "Helarse, Candice." He whispered. The dragoness realized that it was how sounded her death.
Brute landed on the ground and smiled. Tremor was about to attack, but wyvern pointed place behind the earth guardian.
"You'd better see that." He suggested. Tremor turned slowly, expecting trap. Then, he saw Candice. About twenty meters above the ground, held by Icey. Her chest was pierced by thin, long for several meters, red from blood ice spike. The earth guardian was aghast in fear about her. "Candy!" He screamed. The ice guardian slowly turned her head at him and looked through him with blind, unseeing eyes. Tremor started running to her. Then, in front of him, there appeared small bomb. The dragon shielded his face, but explosion threw him right behind Brute. The green dragon stood up quickly. The wyvern was standing between him and his mate.
"Out of my way." Tremor desperately wanted to get to her. His voice was filled with pure hatred.
"Make me." Brute smiled and made defensive pose.
"I have no time for this." Eyes of dragon started glowing with green energy, all his scales erected in anger. "Out of my way, Brute." He repeated slowly.
"So finally, I'll see Gaia, who I heard about so much from Mar, huh?" Brute took from bag single bomb. "Bring it on." He said with excitement.
"You lost, Candice." Icey caught her throat and started choking her. From his shoulders appeared two ice spikes, which broke both her wings. He crushed her bones in such way that she'd never more in her short life be able to fly. Candice closed eyes in pain. "You're so lordly, so exalted." Vengantimo said scornfully. "How do you feel now? When your wings are stripped away." He glared at dragoness, who tried to take a breath. "Fall, dragon scum." He dove with her right to the ground and dropped her, making her crush with great speed and disappear in the cloud of dust. He landed next to her slowly, absolutely sure that she was already dead. Then, ice dragoness slowly stood up. Icey watched her with disbelief. Then he saw that at last second, she had created something like chute, which made her fall at her back, instead of head. "Bravo, you saved yourself." The wyvern said coldly, as he stood before dragoness. "I thought that only your mate is such stubborn idiot that he fights further no mater what happens. Even, if there's no chance to win." Icey jumped back, as the guardian shot to him an ice spike. Or rather, its pathetic substitution.
"Don't you dare speaking of him like that." Candice slowly stood up, though she barely remained still.
"Aren't you going to give up?" The wyvern asked, surprised.
"If Tremor never did so, why should I?" The ice guardian noticed. She didn't want to lose to him and definitely not to die. Vengantimo sighed deeply.
"Let's finish this." Icey couldn't believe that she still hoped, she could win. Or even survive. He could not really believe that with such a blow taken, she still could stand. He expected her to only crawl in the puddle of her blood, waiting for death. "I'll show you that those, who fight further, end up only dying." He started running to Candice. She made something alike block and hoped that Tremor would come in time. Flame and Ember had enough problems with just Segunda. She knew that only her mate could help her now.
Brute was forcing with Gaia, who didn't let him make any move. The wyvern hissed angrily. "Out of my way, you bitch!" He shouted. The earth dragoness grinned insolently.
"Make me." She replied. Sexto gave her hateful sight and cursed silently. Tremor smiled hearing that and ran at top of hill. There, he saw Candice. All her body was in block of ice, only her head was free. The ice dragoness smiled slightly, seeing her mate.
"Tremor!" She felt hope filling her heart.
"Here I am." He smirked to her. Candice was in such bad state that in his eyes, there appeared tears."Drop her. Now." The earth guardian demanded, as he watched Vengantimo hatefully.
"She's already dead." Tercera watched the ice dragoness. "Don't you understand that?"
"As long, as she's breathing, I'll fight for her." Tremor replied.
"Give up, Tremor. It's ridiculous." Icey watched him with annoyance. "Because of words like those, you're just a weakling. Just spare yourself another shame." He pleased.
"Drop her. None cause is lost, as long as someone fights for it. And I will not give up." The earth guardian said. Candice smiled hearing that words. That was, what she loved him for. Tremor grinned to her.
"Nonsense." Icey stated. "Come on, dragon." Tremor attacked. He jumped to Icey and slashed with paw, but wyvern easily blocked blow and pushed dragon away. The guardian jumped away avoiding ice spikes appearing from the ground. He crushed an ice spread with earth, when Icey appeared right next to him. The wyvern hit strongly Tremor with tail throwing him away at hillside. He fell on it and started rolling down the hill. The earth dragon felt that it was covered in slippery ice all over, so he tried to stop with talons. He started slowing down, when from earth appeared ice pillar, which threw his paw in the air and another one, which made dragon roll down even faster. The earth guardian stopped at the foot of hill. He cursed silently, standing up. Then, he heard voice from above.
"Tremor, farewell your lady." Icey went to Candice. The earth dragon jumped in the air, begging in his mind that he'd make it in time. Then, the ice user released dragoness from block of ice and grasp her throat strongly. Candice squeaked in pain. Vngantimo threw her straightly into the air and jumped after her. That was, when Tremor saw him. He couldn't do anything, he was too far. If only he could...
"Stop it!" He shouted desperately. Icey smiled.
"Too late." Vengantimo whispered coldly. That was the moment he lived for. He spun and slashed Candice's throat deeply. Three trickles of blood from his talons created red smooth lines in the air. This time, it was deadly blow. Icey finished spin, kicking away the ice dragoness to Tremor. The earth guardian caught her. He slowly landed at foot of hill, paralyzed by shock and disbelief. He watched, but couldn't believe. He could touch her, but couldn't accept truth.
"Candy..." He whispered. Tears started falling from his eyes. At first, there were thousands of thoughts. Later,only one remained, stabbing his heart like sword. "She's dead. She's dead... She's dead!" The earth guardian wanted to scream, but his throat seemed so dry that no voice could leave his mouth. He felt complete pointlessness. In one second, everything had lost its value. He was mad at himself. Again, he couldn't protect someone close to him. His paw was shaking in anger. "How could have this happened? How many more will die, before I become strong enough to protect them?" He asked himself. Tremor gently placed Candice on the ground and closed her eyelids. If not blood covering dragoness, if not all those wounds, with her slight smile, she would look as if she was sleeping. He smiled sadly through tears, thinking about that. Gaia, who had forced Brute to pull back a little, only stood silent behind her brother and hung her head sadly.
Icey was watching the earth dragon with derisive smile. The wyvern sat on the ground with his back to Tremor and started cleaning his talons from dirt and blood, as if nothing had happened. "One down." He whispered, still smiling. He closed eyes and started relaxing. At first he considered helping Espejo, but he knew Segunda hated anyone to interrupt his fight, even by helping. Icey was done with his guardian, the rest he left to others.
